This invention relates generally to the art of needlepoint craft, and more particularly to flexible needlepoint sheets used in the craft of needlepoint.
Needlepoint sheets of flexible plastic material which have a plurality of aligned rows of perforations are commony available on the market for those interested in the craft of needlepont. Thread-like material such as yarn is sewn onto the mat or sheet through the perforations in a particular pattern which is predetermined by the needlepoint artist. However, these needlepoint sheets have shortcomings in that the plastic webbing or threads between and defining the many perforations in the sheets are rounded. Thus, when the yarn is sewn to the sheet, it conforms to the rounded surface thereof and accordingly produces a lumpy appearance. In addition, it becomes very difficult to follow designs from a separate pattern sheet supplied with the needlepont kit or from one's own separate design due to the fact that it is difficult to locate the correct perforations in the sheet with each needlepoint stitch in order to conform with the design desired, due to the fact that there are hundreds of small peforations on each sheet.
Additionally, the sheets are usually cut up into smaller sections to make small ornaments, and when this is done, it is rather difficult to measure out the small cut-out segments on the larger sheets before cutting the smaller segments therefrom, as these segments must either be measured off or the number of perforations counted in order to obtain desired needlepoint sheet segments of equal dimension, which is extremely time consuming and tedious.
In addition, if the needlepoint sheet is cut up on diagonals, a difficulty arises in that there is not enough plastic webbing or plastic thread between perforations when so cut such that the perforations may break through at the cut, leaving the perforation open at the line of cut. Yet, if the perforations are made smaller or the webbing or plastic thread between perforations is made bigger or wider in order to avoid this problem, then undesirable effects are created in that the number of perforations per square inch or surface area becomes too small, and the resulting designs created thereon by needlepoint take on an overly jagged and less uniform appearance.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a needlepoint sheet which is devoid of the above-identified disadvantages.